Police arrested three people on Sunday in connection with the lynching of a 40-year-old mentally challenged person, suspected of theft, at Chobir Paik village in Kabirhat of Noakhali on Friday.
Kabirhat police station officer-in-charge Shahin Miah said that the arrests were made following a murder case filed after the incident. The case named eight individuals and accused 20-25 unidentified people.
The arrested are Habib Ullah and Azi Ullah Liton, both sons of Badsha Mia, and Abdur Rahman Khan, all residents of Chobir Paik village.
The victim Jahir Uddin Bechu, son of the late Mostofa of Uttar Lamchi village in the same upazila, was lynched by a mob in Chobir Paik village.
Kabirhat upazila social welfare officer Md Hafizur Rahman confirmed that Jahir had been receiving a government disability allowance since 2020.
According to locals, a gang of thieves tried to break the lock of a mosque but failed. Later, they entered a shop adjacent to the mosque. 聽Sensing presence of the thieves, the imam of the mosque informed of the matter to locals.
However, locals caught Jahir from the spot suspecting him theft and thrashed, leaving him critically injured.
Later, dozens of villagers tied Jahir with a tree Friday night, suspecting him of theft.
A viral video, circulating on social media, showed that a crowd beating Jahir with sticks and other objects. Despite his screams, no one intervened to help him.
Police recovered Jahir鈥檚 body and sent it to Noakhali general hospital for autopsy.
鈥榃e found evidence of murder in our preliminary investigation and are trying to identify and arrest the remaining perpetrators by analysing the video footage,鈥� OC Shahin Miah added.
